Magnet

Hello Stuart, Personally, I wouldn’t be too worried about fuel consumption at the moment, and concentrate on your concerns about the sound of the engine - although there may indeed be a connection between the two. If this were mine, I would be informing the supplying dealer that you intend to have an independent assessment of the engine, and will report back to them with a copy of the findings of that report. Of course, you will have to pay for this, but if your suspicion is proved correct then you should be able to claim this back from the dealership. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Vicky, Sorry to hear of your issue with this car. If this were mine, I would not be taking part in any discussions other than those based on formally rejecting this car and having all your outgoings refunded without delay. The car is deemed to be potentially dangerous, the dealership has been given opportunities to resolve the issue; Audi are aware of the ‘greater picture’ involving other such vehicles and are working on it, but cannot give you a date by which it will be resolved. I’m really not sure for how much longer discussions need to be carried out. Citizens Advice will no doubt advise you how to formally reject the car. Hope some of this helps, Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, Re. the problematic rear lights and warnings - check the wiring within the flexible harness which links the body to the boot/tailgate. Not unusual to have cracked/broken wires in there due to years of flexing. Just carefully pull the corrugated rubber cover back and give all the cables a good coat of inspection. Re. your bumper. Personally, I would not replace the bumper, if the photo represents the extent of the damage. The basics of this should be repairable by plastic welding, although you might need to replace /fabricate some associated parts. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Well, fair do s, as we say around here - that’s one way of getting around it. If this were mine, I would be putting an in-line fuse in the added bypass cable. A bit of a must in my book. Fuse value? Depends on the cable you have used, so could be 5 amp, but irrespective of the cable, I would say do not use a fuse greater than 10amp. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Many thanks for coming back on this, and I’m sorry you haven’t been able to find an explanation. A couple of points :- are the brake lights and indicators on the LHS working correctly? Although I don’t think this is the answer, have you made sure associated earthing points are sound? Last option, do you have, or can you get, a wiring diagram for the car - I assume Haynes may have covered this model back then? Although you have checked the main fuse, circuits at this time were sometimes safeguarded by additional in-line fuses, and you would need to check if this applied to your car and if so, you need to locate and check it. Confusing bit however would be that they work via. the parking light circuit, but.... Can we take it your cable checking did include stripping back the flexible rubber harness section? I’m afraid Rob that much more than the above will probably point you to the worth of buying an hour’s time with a trusted local auto electrician. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, Although I have had an interest in so called classic cars for more decades that I wish to recall, I would struggle to value this car without quite a bit more information. Its background - record of ownership, how long you have owned it, what work has been carried out, when and why it as resprayed etc. etc. will be all important aspects which will influence its value. And all of that would come before at least seeing some condition evidence via. photos. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Jason, Although I agree with Chris’ suggested checking routine, personally I would not be assuming you have headgasket issues until you prove you have. Coolant loss is coolant loss, and may ( just may) be due to coolant finding its way into one of the combustion chambers - but the loss may not be due this. White smoke may be due to coolant being burnt in the combustion chamber, but it may not - could simply be condensation. I would be topping up the coolant and looking for possible leak sites, then taking the car on a 5 mile run and on your return, rev the engine to 2000rpm and hold it steady at these revs for 2 minutes and observe and smoke from the exhaust. If there is any evidence of white smoke under these conditions then it might be time worry. ’Mayonnaise’ might be a sign of coolant getting into the lubrication, but it could simply be due to condensation. If this were mine, I would first be looking for exidence of leaks then carrying out the above simple smoke test. Other tests can then follow if necessary. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello David, This is certainly not going to result in any relief for you, but I am in the camp of Steve and Cliff. Although the areas you mention are localised, the rust in these localised area is already well advanced. My experience leads me to believe that you will not cure this - slow it down a bit? - possibly. Personally, I would not be paying a body shop to ‘rectify’ this since I doubt that any of them worth their salt would give you any guarantee about rust not reappearing, and as such, it might look prettier for a short space of time, but it will return. I’m not sure how handy you are with carrying out this work yourself, but this may be the cheapest short term appearance option. If this is your intention then please let us know and perhaps we can pass on some tips. Kind regards, Gareth.

Healthy debate is what keeps forums active. In that context, I feel I would not wholeheartedly support the same opinion as Dan- avant, and in my opinion ideally all tyre sections should be the same on both axles of these cars - as with tyre patterns and tread depth. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Malvin, Many thanks for the additional information, which clarifies the roof has been working under your ownership. Let’s hope someone else on here might be able to offer you some advice on what the issue is, but to my quite sparse knowledge of the operation of these roofs they can be a minefield of minor micro switches and linkages. Not necessarily expensive to repair individual bits, but difficult to diagnose. Probably someone on here will be able to offer you more in depth advice. In the meantime, all I can suggest is what I mentioned in my last paragraph. If you cannot find anyone local, then there is someone west of me in S. Wales who is knowledgeable and very reasonable in his convertible hood replacement (and trimming) and is quite likely to have come across most ‘associated roofmechanical issues’. Could be worth giving him a ring. Phone number? ,but Google ‘Jack Smith Trimming, Swansea’ - you should find him. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Malvin, Sorry to hear of your problem. It would be important to know when you bought this car, and if you have just returned it to the used car dealer you bought it from. It would also be important to know if you tested the roof operation before buying, since it would appear this cable issue hasn’t simply decided to cause issues now. I guess it would be unusual for a buyer not to have tested the important roof operation on a convertible, but... ...’not in his warranty’..? Possible, but it would depend on the terms and conditions of the sale, and how long you have owned it, how you inspected it prior to sale etc. Of course, the car is an ‘old lady’ now, and things are expected to go wrong, but a convertible with a roof that doesn’t open.... Fit for purpose? Perhaps you could fill in some more details Malvin. Re. sorting out the problem - it would be worth googling local companies which supply and fit replacement convertible roofs. Someone else on here, more local to you, might be able to advise you on this. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Bob, Although I would not like to say that this is the answer to your problem, I would be first looking at the wiring harness as it passes from the body to the boot/hatchback area i.e. the flexible rubber-covered section. It would be worth carefully pulling back the covering and inspecting the harness cables for breaks. It is not uncommon to find a broken cable/s within this section, and this is caused by the harness flexing at this point over a number of years of use. A cable usually breaks/starts to break ( if its going to) during colder weather where the cabling becomes less flexible. Have a look and let us know how you get on. Kind regards, Gareth.

Well Pete, what are you doing to us? Audi ownership? I don’t own one either, but the good lady does, but.... As I recall, I commented early on that I was expecting to hear that you had met yourself on the way back! A really giddy life. If indeed you are going to stop posting, then it will be a sad loss to this forum, but I can appreciate that demands on your time are at a premium, so I can understand. Difficult to know what to say, but I genuinely wish you and Caz well at this time of change, and I really hope that you might find an odd moment to keep in touch with this forum. Meanwhile take care Pete and slow down a bit, but please don’t think about retirement. I’ve been at it since I had a bit of hair, and have come to the conclusion it’s work without pay! - but enjoyable. Don’t be away too long Pete. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Andrew, I’m sorry to hear of your problem, and can understand your concerns and discontents. OK, allow them one more try at making a permanent fix, but I this were mine I too would be following your wishes of formally rejecting the car. If you are going down this route, then asking for your money back is OK, but I my suggestion would be to take advice from the Citizens Advice and follow their guidelines on how to formally reject the car. I would anticipate that this will be conducting this via. a Recorded Delivery letter to the dealer principal, rather than simply asking to reject it. Good luck with getting a satisfactory resolution. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, Many thanks for coming back on this. Not wanting to throw spanners into works, but you have just had another opinion to add to the ‘everyone has an (a different) opinion’ bank of advice, and if peace of mind is worth anything then it’s a question of following the ‘official ‘ advice sought from Audi rather than just taking a chance that it will be OK beyond their timescale. Of course, it might be a chance worth taking, but a chance it is. I wouldn’t be sure of the worth of the car - but I guess it would come under the heading of considerable- and again I do not know the cost of replacing a wrecked engine, but I can guess. The magic formular here is to measure the risk taken against the cost of this ‘routine service part change’ against the risk of something going. Whatever that formular is, a risk it is, and one thing is for sure £500 in a bank account is nice, but gambling the ‘extra time bought in not spending it’?? Only you can decide on that James, and I guess you are now armed with as many opinions as responses, so there is no shortage of advice. I think as I indicated, this isn’t any sort of ‘cost is King’ job, or whether the money is worth spending at all at this time. It is a critical part application and may just equate to a similar decision on whether to spend money to insure the house or not. It isn’t, if nothing goes wrong, but with this job, the expenditure is inevitable at some point, so I think I would know what I would do, unless money was really really tight. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello a Gareth, I feel for your plight, and I applaud your quest to try to solve this issue on a DIY basis. Unfortunately on this occasion it hasn’t worked out for you, and as with all of us have at some points in time, you now find you have spent more money on replacing components which weren’t at fault, than having ‘bought in’ expertise to sort it - possibly cheaper. I don’t know Gareth, but are the stalks for example, simply plug in and play, or do they have to be coded to the car? Manufacturers are clever, and do now have a tendency to deter the DIYer. Sorry, but I can only repeat my earlier advice and suggest spending some time investigating a good local source of expertise on things electrical - possibly at an independent, or a recommended auto electrician. I can only wish you well in this quest, and apologise for not being able to help. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Koen, You are talking a theoretical difference of less than 3mm of rubber between the two different tyres (assuming they are new and not part worn - which you don’t tell us). Nothing in it then, but I would again point out the consideration of XL tyres and harsher rides, or indeed the possibility of them being even run-flat, which do not have comport in mind. Please respect Dann’s comments on the overall dia. of wheel and tyre and the effect on speed indication. It’s the end of a hard day for me, so I’ll leave it to you to do the maths, although I think I had previously worked it out for one of the tyre sizes. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, I have used Gates kits in the past but I do not use their kits which include the water pump, since these must be classed as ‘aftermarket’ and I don’t think there is any substitute for main dealer parts for this critical application. I think you might find that VAG sell, or at least did sell, a ‘reconditioned’ pump and your old one has to be returned to them under surcharge. It is rumoured that these are in fact new pumps, and your old pumps are acquired for scrapping so they don’t get into the aftermarket chain. I think if this were mine I would be tempted not to change your pump, in preference to using an aftermarket one. Some may say that if you are doing this critical job yourself and saving a fair amount of money on labour, then it’s wise to invest in the best components and stick with genuine VAG parts. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. You could try Trade Parts Supply, who specialise in genuine VAG parts. You can sometimes get discounted prices via. this route. Again, dealers sometimes have offers on cambelt changes - sometimes making it not worth your while to do it yourself. Might be worth a ring around.

Blinking heck Victor. With insurance costs being that low why aren’t we all flocking to live on your side of the waters?

Hello Nigel, Have you tried googling classic car exhaust suppliers? I would think this is your best starting point. Also EBay possibly. I have a Walker exhaust catalogue here and if you could let me know what engine you have, I might be able to give you some Walker part numbers, but a casual glance suggests they might not list the convertible - simply the saloon and estate - but I will double check if you let me have the engine cc. Daft as it sounds, it might be worth wandering into your local Audi dealer (have the VIN to hand) and enquiring there, since they might still have a search facility through the dealer network which could locate old stock. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Thanks for the explanation. I think this forum works like most others run on a volunteer assistance basis, and I seriously doubt whether anyone on here would be reluctant to help you out if they can. Experts are few and far between and its likely that their expertise has been built up by hands-on experience of a particular marque, perhaps being full time employed in such roles, and may indeed just not be bothered to have their free time interrupted. I think it’s fair to say that the majority of contributors on here are enthusiastic, and really want to help - if they can. If they cannot, then I am sure it’s not from a lack of interest or desire trying to help. I think it’s great that you found friends on a forum all those years back, and no doubt in-depth electronic issues were in their infancy then, and plain hands-on experience in things mechanical could be more readily shared. Let’s hope someone on here will be able to help you out Steve, or forum members nearer your neck of the woods be able to recommend some local specialist assistance. Please don’t look on us to harshly Steve, and if it’s any consolation, it’s quite possible that the good folks who administer this forum will not look on my responses too favourably, but it’s a risk everyone takes if they respond to posts. I genuinely wish you good luck in getting it sorted. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Steve, Not that I have any responsibility for the good running of this forum ( for which I have the utmost respect) but I feel I have to ‘justify’ its potential as a source of help. I do appreciate however, that advice maybe slower in coming through - if in fact it does at all, and in your case where I anticipate your appeal for help was probably posted around midnight, I would realistically doubt anyone would have replied by now. Of course from your point of view, time is probably important since the car is immobile, but ...’ .....Really, no one?’ may not have been seen as the most appropriate comment to have made . Sorry Steve, and this is just my personal opinion, and probably is not shared by others. Anyway, onwards and upwards, and unfortunately my response is not going to help you very much, but I think that if this were mine, I would be seeking local specialist adivce with this one, if no one comes up with a simple fix explanation for you in a short space of time. Good luck in getting it sorted. Kind regards, Gareh.

Could well be helpful advice Nigel, but a shame the original poster apparently hasn’t revisited the forum since he first registered and asked for help and quidance. Good isn’t it? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Gareth, Electrical issues tend to cause more concern than mechanical issues, and the sourcing of the actual (should be in caps) fault may equate to solving a detective story plot. Such things are often best progressed by buying an hour’s services of a good auto electrician, who will be far better placed to source the actual issue than either trying to solve it yourself, or by seeking advice without the benefit of the offending car being to hand. It is quite possible that Dann is on the right track, and indeed you could try replacing the stalk in the hope that it will solve the problem, but pessimistically, it might not, and you have wasted your money - which might have been better spent on buying in some expertise. I guess you bought this known-to-be-faulty car at a very reasonable price, so some bought in fault assessment might indeed be money well spent. Re fault codes:- They can of course be meaningful and point to the actual problem. On the other hand, it would not be wise to always accept that as simple fact, since the old ‘cause and effect’ could come into it, where the actual fault code shown is influenced by another problem ‘further down the line’. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Dan, ’......going down in wheel or tyre circumference ....’ and effect on speed indication. That’s why I overworked my brain! - with the maths, to ensure that the overall outside diameter remains as close as possible to the original specification wheel and tyre set up. Re. extra load (XL) tyres, my initial interpretation of the need for these was for estate cars etc. where weight carrying may be a regular occurrence. I could be wrong. Kind regards, Gareth.